Michigan Swimming and Diving Announces Staff Additions
8/31/2023 2:02:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan swimming and diving head coach Matt Bowe announced Thursday (Aug. 31) five members of his program's coaching staff, including associate head coaches Bryon Tansel and Aaron Bell, associate coach Gunnar Schmidt, assistant coach Priscilla Barletta and director of operations and player development Kyle Dunaway. Barletta returns to U-M for her third season on staff, while the other four are all newcomers.
"I'm incredibly excited to announce our new staff," said Bowe. "I was fortunate enough to put together one of the best staffs in the country and our student-athletes are going to benefit tremendously from their experience and passion. Their coaching ability has been showcased in their successful careers so far, but the most important skill that set them apart was their relationship-driven approach to coaching. They care for the person behind the athlete and that approach is going to help our student-athletes thrive in the classroom, pool and in life!"
Tansel comes to Ann Arbor after spending the 2022-23 season at Louisville, where both Cardinals' programs finished third at the ACC Championships, with the men going on to a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He arrived at Louisville following five seasons at Ohio State, where he was part of three consecutive top-10 NCAA finishes with the OSU men's program and a school-best seventh-place finish for the women. Tansel helped coach the 2021 Ohio State teams that saw the women win their third consecutive Big Ten championship while the men's squad finished third.
Before OSU, Tansel coached at LSU in 2016-17, working directly with the sprint group and coaching four individual school records and two program records in the 200- and 400-yard medley relay.
The Dundee, Mich., native previously spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan, where he was part of two men's Mid-American Conference championship teams (2015, 2016), while the women's program improved from fourth place in 2014 to consecutive second-place finishes in 2015 and 2016. Tansel led the Eagles to 27 varsity records, eight MAC records and 12 individual and relay conference championships.
While at EMU, Tansel coached Cole Bateman to a semifinal appearance in the 200 backstroke at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and three swimmers to the NCAA Championships, including freshman Delaney Duncan. She became the first freshman in program history to qualify for nationals, earning NCAA All-America honorable mention status with her 14th-place finish in the 100 breaststroke.
Tansel also has coached the Dallas Mustangs Swim Team national group, the Dallas Aquatic Masters, and Poseidon Swimming Inc., alongside a volunteer coaching position at the University of Richmond. His first coaching job was for the Oakland Live Y'ers in Troy, Mich.
Tansel graduated from Oakland University, where he was named the Summit League Swimmer of the Year in 2005 and received All-Summit League first team honors from 2003-08. He was elected team captain during his final two seasons for the Golden Grizzlies and earned his bachelor's degree in business management before earning a master's in sport management from EMU.
Bell joined Tansel on the Louisville staff and helped guide the Cardinals women to their most points in school history (288) en route to a fourth-place finish, while the men placed 13th.
Before Louisville, Bell spent five seasons at Notre Dame as an associate head coach and men's program recruiting coordinator. At ND, Bell worked with ACC distance champions Zach Yeadon (two-time ACC champion) and the 2021 ACC Championships Swimmer of the Meet Jack Hoagland. His work with the Irish men helped contribute to a 29-12 dual-meet record over his tenure, also helping the women to a 40-6 dual-meet record. Thirty-four Notre Dame swimmers earned outright All-America status during Bell's tenure.
Prior to Notre Dame, Bell served on staff at Virginia Tech (2011-16) and Buffalo (2007-11).
At Virginia Tech, Bell was the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2011-14 and the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator from 2014-16. The Hokies' men finished in the top four at the ACC Championships all five years, including an ACC team title in 2014 and a pair of runner-up finishes in 2012 and 2013. Meanwhile, the women's team placed in the top five each year and posted a runner-up showing in 2013.
Between the two programs, 72 student-athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships and qualified 24 for the Olympic Trials. Katarina Filova (Slovakia) advanced to the 2012 London Olympics, while Michal Szuba (Poland) swam at the 2013 World University Games and 2015 World Championships.
A combined 79 school records and four ACC marks fell while Bell coached at Virginia Tech.
At the University of Buffalo, the men's team claimed four top-three finishes, including a MAC championship in 2011, while Bell coached 20 individual champions, 74 school records and four NCAA diving qualifiers.
Other previous coaching experiences include serving as both a graduate assistant (2004-06) and volunteer assistant (2007) at Ohio and serving as the head assistant coach at the University of Miami (2006).
Bell had a standout career at Clarion University in Clarion, Pa., earning 20 All-America scrolls at the Division II institution. He was a senior national qualifier in 2003 and 2004 and left school as the program record holder in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. In 1999, Bell earned the prestigious Kelly Cup Award, which goes to the Pennsylvania amateur athlete of the year. He is a member of USA Swimming and the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).
Bell graduated from Clarion with a Bachelor of Science in liberal studies in May 2004. He then completed the coaching education program through Ohio's School of Recreation and Sport Sciences department in June 2007.
Bell and his wife, Courtney, have two sons, Brody and Landon, and a daughter, Lucy.
Schmidt is a familiar name to the U-M and Ann Arbor swimming and diving community. A 2009 graduate and former Wolverines competitor, he has served as head coach of Club Wolverine since 2016.
Schmidt competed for U-M between 2005-09 and saw most of his action over his final two seasons in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle events before graduating with a degree in biology.
Schmidt transitioned from athlete to coach in 2009 in the Chicago area with Big Blue Swim School. He later moved back to Ann Arbor, began coaching Club Wolverine, Club Wolverine Elite and worked with the U-M swimming and diving program as a program assistant and later volunteer coach.
As head coach and executive director of Club Wolverine, Schmidt developed numerous state champions and qualified athletes for Junior Nationals and U.S. Nationals. Under Schmidt's tutelage, Club Wolverine qualified five swimmers for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials and placed two swimmers on the U.S. National Junior Team. He also was an assistant coach on the 2022 USA Swimming National Junior Team (Mel Zajac Team).
Schmidt is the recipient of the 2018 NCSA Coach of the Year and 2020 Michigan Coach of the Year.
Dunaway comes to U-M after most recently serving as the director of operations at Ohio State from 2017-21, where he coordinated all operational aspects of the Buckeyes' program. He has worked in a university setting since 2006, including a stint as head swimming and diving coach at Transylvania University from 2010-14.
While serving as the head coach at Transylvania, Dunaway helped his student-athletes break 34 school records and was named the 2014 Women's Coach of the Year in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Transylvania swimmers garnered six individual conference titles, set four conference records and saw 27 all-conference performances.
In 2013, he added an assistant athletic director title to his duties, including marketing efforts for all 26 programs and program oversight of several programs.
Prior to his time at Transylvania, Dunaway also made stops at DePauw University and Wabash College, where he served as an assistant swimming coach. At DePauw, he helped lead the team to a 13th-place finish at NCAA Division III Championships in 2010 and a sixth consecutive Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title. While at Wabash, his swimmers broke seven school records and earned three individual NCAA Division III Championship qualifications. Out of the pool, he arranged travel arrangements for all student-athletes and coaches while also serving as the aquatics director for the college's multi-million dollar swimming facility.
A graduate of Wittenberg University, Dunaway was a two-time team captain and a letterwinner in each of his four years on the swim team. He was a five-time North Coast Athletic Conference semifinalist and the 400 individual medley school record holder. In 2003, he was selected to attend the NCAA's Leadership Conference, one of just 300 student-athletes nationwide to attend.
